Software

Instructions for using the prototype:

- First, you should uncompress the server and client files using WinZip. Then, use Microsoft Visual Studio to
open and compile the code.

- Don't forget to change the file name and the location of the video files in the server code to match
the file name and location of the input video files in your system.

- The server software creates two files: readdebug.txt and senddebug.txt. The problems related to
sending and reading data at the server are recorded in these two files.

- Make sure the multicast addresses the client software listens to match the addresses the server software
is using. This is due to the lack of signaling mechanism in the current implementation (future release will address
this shortcoming).

- The client will listen to the channels being broadcast from the server. Each channel has a debug file to record the
packets received from the server.

- To test other periodic broadcast protocols, first calculate the the number of segment per video, the segment sizes,
segment playback rates, and buffer size for each segment. Then assign these parameters in the OnStart function in the
server code.

- The current prototype implementation only focuses on the verification of our memory buffer allocation and
scheduling at the server. The prototype is only implemented until the point we can verify that there is virtually
no data packet loss nor delay from the server to the client. Therefore, there are certainly some features like signaling,
user interface, and on the fly playback at the client, etc. that are not available in the current release of the prototype.
We plan to include  these features in the next release to be available by early September 2003.

Downloading the code:

Now click on the link below to get the server code

GPBS

, and click on the link below to get the client code

PBClient.zip

The software is still going under some revisions to make it more user friendly. Please check back this
webpage often to download newer version.

Here are some sample video files of length 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes encoded at 0.3 Mbps and
1.5 Mbps. We used the tmpgenc MPEG-1 encoder to produce these video files. The content of the files
is about the VEISHA 2003 parade at Iowa State University. If you need different video length or playback
bitrate, please use the tmpgenc to merge or re-encode the files.

Veisha 1 minute, 0.3 Mbps video.
Veisha 1 minute, 1.5 Mbps video.
Veisha 5 minutes, 0.3 Mbps video.
Veisha 5 minutes, 1.5 Mbps video.
Veisha 10 minutes, 0.3 Mbps video.
Veisha 10 minutes, 1.5 Mbps video.

Any question or comments about the software please forward to ttminh@cs.iastate.edu

Thank you for your interest in our website.

Last Update May 12, 2003